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> Neptune seen by Voyager 2

Neptune seen by Voyager 2

author: Nasa/JPL/Novapix

reference: a-nep03-00002

Image Size 300 DPI: 18 * 14 cm

This contrast enhanced color photograph of Neptune was produced from images taken through the orange, green, and violet filters of the narrow angle camera. As Voyager 2 approaches Neptune, rapidly increasing image resolution is revealing striking new details in the planet's atmosphere, and this picture shows features as small as a few hundred kilometers in extent. Bright, wispy "cirrus-type" clouds are seen overlying the Great Dark Spot (GDS) at its southern (lower) margin and over its northwest ( upper left) boundary. This is the first evidence that the GDS lies lower in the atmosphere than these bright clouds, which have remained in its vicinity for several months. Increasing detail in global banding, and the south polar can also be seen. A smaller dark spot at high southern latitudes is dimly visible near the limb at lower left.

Keywords for this photo:

1989 - ASTRONOMY - ATMOSPHERE - CLOUD - GLOBAL VIEW - GREAT DARK SPOT - NEPTUNE - PLANET - SCOOTER - STORM - VOYAGER - VOYAGER 2 -